Bread-board



L. W. SERRELL.

BREAD BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13. ms.

1 ,328,301 Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

WITNESS W 'NVENTOR fiW Z2 1 I 10 i MKLK/ 'HIS ATTORNEYS LEMUEL W. SERRELL, NEW YORK, N. Y.

BREAD-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 20,

Application filed June 13, 1918. Serial No. 239,719.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, LEMUEL W. SERRELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Bread-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for cutting slices of bread from a loaf, and it is particularly designed for household use. One object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive but very efiective device which may be folded for transportation, or to economize space when not in use; another object is to provide means for cutting the slices of bread uniformly and varying their thickness as desired, and a further object is to prevent the waste which frequently occurs in the common manner of cutting bread.

While the device is particularly intended for household use in slicing bread, it is equally adapted for use in hotels or restaurants, and may be used in slicing cake, cheese, or like substances.

The details of the invention are hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my invention as in use.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing the device folded, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the broken line 33 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.

10, indicates a flat base of suitable thickness which may be made of wood and of rectangular shape, or oblong, but for household use I prefer that it can be round as illustrated, and provided with an annular concave channel or groove 11, in its upper surface adjacent the outer edge. The base is also provided in its upper surface with two spaced parallel slots or grooves 12 and 13, which are of a predetermined Widthand length, and are preferably located slightly back of the inner wall of the channel 11.

14 and 15, are two fiat hinge plates of metal or other suitable material of a length slightly less than the length of the grooves 12 and 13 and of less thickness than the width of said grooves.

16, indicates the knife guide which may be formed from a flat strip of metal provided. with cent al losei adiael hat-ewe ratended to a predetermined distance from each end and bent in arched shape to icon,- forrn approximately tothe'shapeof a loaf of bread in cross section, butI prefer to employ two strips of material 1 0 shaped and with their ends secured to ther'espectiv plates 14 and 15, upon one sidethere0f at about the center of the plate by bolts ioi" rivets 17. These'two strips 18 and 19 are spaced a suitable distance to permit the blade of a knife to be readily passed b'etWi n them without friction, but aresulficiently close together to prevent any lateral movement of the blade while manipulating the knife 20, indicates two angle irons, one flat arm of each of which extends down into the slots or grooves 12 and 13, at their rear ends, while the other or horizontal arms rest upon the top surface of the base 10, to which they are fastened by a screw or bolts 21.

The rear ends of the hingeplates14' and 15, arev pivotally connected to the respective angle pieces 20, upon the arms within the grooves 12 and 13, by pivot pins 22, so that the knife guide 16 may be swung backward into a horizontal position over the top of the base as shown in Fig. 2, or into a vertical position as shown in Fig. l, in which latter position the lower portions of the hinge plates enter the slots'or' grooves 12 and 13, and the pivotal connection is so made that when the knife guide occupies the vertical position, the straight rear edges of the strips 18, bear against the straight vertical front edges of the angle irons thereby assuring. a true perpendicular position of the knife guide and also acting. .to brace and steady the same when the device is in use;

The forward end of the hinge plate 14, is

somewhat higher than the remainder of the plate, so that when the knife guide is in the perpendicular position, that end of the plate forward of the strip 19, projects out of the slot or groove 12, and above the top surface of the base 10. The top edge of this projection is notched or provided with graduated teeth. I prefer ratchet teeth 23, as

shown.

24, denotes a yoke of suitable material.

preferably a' flat strip of metal whi'h eX- tends between the hinge plates 14 and 15. This yoke is preferably shaped as shown having a horizontal center portion" with ease. erse and eight aa eib s latl extreme ends of which are pivotally connected to the respective hinge plates by pivot pins 25.

26, indicates a spring catch, one end of which is permanently secured to the top of the horizontal portion of the yoke 24, by rivets 27, or any suitable means. This catch is of a length to extend over and beyond the toothed end of the hinge plate 14, its extreme free end being preferably bent in upwardly curved form, and broadened to provide a finger grip for the operator.

That end of the yoke pivoted to the hinge plate 15, may be bent under the bottom edge of said plate and then upwardly at the opposite side of the plate so as to bear against the inner side wall of the groove 13, with spring pressure when the knife guide is swung into the vertical position, thereby aiding in steadying and retaining the knife guide in such position.

When the device is not in use the knife guide 16, is swung backward on the pivot pins 22, so that it rests in a horizontal position over the top surface of the base 10; and if desired, a bread knife 28, may be held between the base and guide as shown in Fig. 2, in which case the knife will always be at hand when needed. The foldable character of my device greatly economizes space, not only in the household, but in transportation,

. as a large number of them may be packed together within a comparatively small container,

When it is desired to use the device, the knife guide 16 is swung upwardly into the perpendicular position shown in Fig. 1, the yoke 24, being normally drawn back into engagement with the last tooth of the plate 14, and held in such position by said tooth, the extreme free end of the spring catch 26, coming into contact with the outer edge of the strip 19, preventing any further inward movement of the yoke. The handle of the knife 28 is grasped by the right hand of the operator, who with his other hand places a loaf of bread 29, upon the top of the base 10, and pushes it through the arched guide 16, bringing its forward end in contact with the inner edge of the yoke 24, where it is held while slicing the loaf. Owing to the oblique turns in the yoke, when it is in the normal position, its central horizontal portion is between the two vertical parts of the strip 19, its inner edge being on a line with about the center of said strip, and when in such position, the slices of bread can only be cut of a thickness corresponding to about one half the width of the strip 19, but the thickness of the slices may be regulated as desired, by simply lifting the spring catch 26, and swinging the yoke on its pivots 25, outward the desired distance and then allowing the spring catch to drop into contact with another one of the teeth 23, the operator then pushing the loaf forward into contact with the yoke and holding it in such position while cutting the bread.

My invention provides a very useful household article at small cost, it also economizes space, not only in the household, but in transportation; the slices cut from a loaf of bread are of uniform thickness, which may be regulated as desired; there is no waste of bread, and even the crumbs which may be caused by the cutting are saved as they are caught by the concave channel 11 in the upper surface of the base, or may be easily scraped or brushed into the same without loss.

It is preferable to provide a small notch or recess 80, in the top edges of the plates 14 and'15, at that point between the strips 18 and 19, to prevent any possibility of the cutting edge of the knife striking anything but the flat top of the base when it is passed through the bottom of a loaf.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bread-board comprising a base provided in its upper surface with two spaced parallel grooves, a hinge-plate Within each groove pivotally connected at one end to the base, and a knife-guide secured at its ends to said hinge-plates.

2. A bread-board comprising a base provided with two spaced parallel slots or grooves, a knife-guide pivotally connected to the base within said slots or grooves, and adjustable means pivotally connected to said knife-guide for regulating the thickness of the slice to be cut.

3. A bread-board comprising a base provided with two spaced parallel slots or grooves, a vertically disposed plate within each slot or groove pivotally connected at one end to the base, and a knife-guide formed of two spaced and arched strips secured at their ends to the respective plates.

4. A bread-board comprising a base'provided with two spaced parallel slots or grooves, a vertically disposed plate within each of said slots or grooves pivotally connected at one end to the base, a knife-guide formed of two spaced and arched strips secured at their ends to the respective plates, and means extending between said plates and pivotally connected thereto for regulating the thickness of the slice to be cut.

5. A bread-board comprising a base provided with two spaced parallel slots or grooves, a vertically disposed plate within each of said slots or grooves pivotally conat one end to said yoke, its free end extending over and engaging the ratchet teeth on said plate.

6. A bread-board comprising a base, provided with two spaced parallel slots or grooves, a vertically disposed plate within each slot or groove pivotally connected at one end to the base, a knife-guide formed of two spaced and arched strips secured at their ends to the respective plates, and means for preventing the cutting edge of the knife blade contacting with said plates.

7. A bread-board comprising a base provided with two spaced parallel slots or grooves, a vertically disposed plate within each slot or groove pivotally connected at one end to the base, and a knife-guide formed of two spaced and arched strips secured at their ends to the respective plates, said plates being provided with a recess between said strips extending below the upper surface of the base.

Signed by me this 27th day of May, 1918.

LEMUEL W. SERRELL. 

